Ranger's Apprentice: Three Hearts, One Choice
by Fanboyofboredom
Summary: Pretend that the happenings of the sixth and seventh haven't happened yet, because they haven't. It is 1 year until Will is to go to Seacliff and he has to choose between being a Ranger, or being with the one he loves.
1. Prologue: An Old Beginning

_Thwap!_

The arrow hit its mark. He'd been practicing the basics of shooting from farther distances until he could hit the target perfectly. His arrows were balanced and his bow was strung, and he was shooting from 200 meters at an average-sized target. He took one step back, drew another arrow and nocked it, drew back the string and let it go.

_Thwap!_

Struck again. He wiped the sweat from his brow and walked to the target. He marked the points where the arrows had struck the circular wooden target, and walked into the woods he had come to know so well. During his stay with Halt, Will had learned the basics of shooting and the more advanced skills of hand-to-hand combat. Now he was to be given his own fief in six months time. In the meantime, he had been given a cottage of his own in the shadow of Castle Araluen, to await knowledge of which fief he would be given to. He would also enjoy the occasional company of old friends or his former master, although that was more rare than not.

Every few weeks or so, he was visited by Evanlyn because she had become a dear friend to Will. Also, there was Alyss, who was also a very close friend, but could only visit on errands to or through the capital. There was also Horace who, after becoming Evanlyn's knight, would visit almost as often as her. Those were the only people who he wouldn't be quite surprised to see, and he didn't mind it, except he wished his master would learn to come by a little more often. However, he thought, maybe his master wanted him to learn to be on his own, and Will thought he was ready.

He exited the forest area to end up in a small clearing with a cottage pushed towards the farther end. He looked to see smoke billowing from the chimney. This however, was not a surprise to him, due to the fact that once a day a servant-woman would be sent to prepare a pot of warm soup or stew. He strode across the clearing and went inside, feeling the cool of the two-room cottage. What he hadn't been expecting the figure to be hiding, knife drawn, in the corner of the room, waiting for the ranger to come home.


	2. Chapter 1: An unbalanced thief

The figure shifted slightly and that is what drew him to Will's attention. Will drew his saxe knife a second before the figure leaped and struck two inches under a killing blow. Will parried it and elbowed his adversary in the nose and send him sprawling on the floor. The knife had fallen out of the assailant's hands and Will kicked it away from his reach. The person's hood, which had obscured his face from the ranger, now fell back as he tried to get to his knees. Or her knees, he thought. The girl who was on the floor was someone he recognized from a nearby village, nothing more than a thief. She made an attempt to reach for the knife, found it had been kicked out of her reach, then moved back an inch. Will put the knife in its scabbard and knelt by the young girl, no more than eleven.

"Can I help you with something?" he said. His eyes were calm and collective, while hers were cold and filled with pain. She touched her nose with a finger, and satisfied it wasn't broken, drew up with her remaining pride.

"I came to learn from you," she said. Her voice was shaky. She was obviously scared, unknown to what a ranger even was. "I want a second chance."

"A second chance? What do you mean by that?" he said. He could already guess that she was a thief, pickpocketed money just so she could survive day after day. What he wanted to know was why she would come to a ranger to learn about anything.

"That isn't important," she said, "I just wanted to see if you were a worthy master to teach, you disarmed me pretty quickly." All she truly wanted was to rob this ranger blind, a person of such stature had to have a lot of money.

Will was doubtful he could do anything. "I'm sorry, I can't teach you," then looking at her, "but I can give you a warm meal and a bed for the night." He thought about it, and then decided it was the best thing he could do. For now anyway. He picked her up and put her in one of the two chairs at the table and set down a bowl of soup in front of her. She ate it like she hadn't eaten in days. She probably hadn't.

It was gone in two minutes and she looked at the empty bowl, looking for any pieces of mean or vegetables left. She licked the bowl clean and set it down. Will sat at the table with a bowl of soup of his own and started eating it slowly. The girl's eyes looked longingly at the cooking pot halfway filled with the delicious food and he gestured towards it. She nodded quickly and spooned large amounts into her bowl. Satisfied she sat down.

Will, halfway done with his first bowl, watched her with interest. "What's your name?" he asked, and she looked at him quizzically. She didn't remember her name, it had been so long since she had been asked the question. No one had cared for her or even about her for most of her life. She put down her spoon.

"I think it was, um, Delanie I think," was all she could say. She suddenly felt very insecure about herself and stood up. His eyes followed her, unblinking. "I think I'm gonna go.

Will frowned. "Nonsesne," he said, "Delanie, I promised you a meal _and_ a bed. Now you are going to stay here the night, and you won't have to sleep outside." He stood up and walked in front of the door. He crossed his arms, and pointed to the other room. "You can have my bed in there, and I'll sleep out here. If you need anything just ask me, and if you want to eat, there is plenty left."

She bowed her head and walked into the other room and closed the door. She opened the door an inch so he could hear her voice. "Thank you, but I think I should be the one in the less uncomfortable place. Plus, you opened up your own home to me, and all I've done is steal and hurt others."

Will took one look at her and turned away to look at the window. He turned back and said just within earshot, "I was small and unsure about myself at one point in my life too. The only thing that changed that was help from someone who I was unsure about, but I gradually began to like him."

She looked at him like he was a madman. She then shrugged her shoulders and closed the door behind her. Whatever, she thought.

He chuckled.


	3. Chapter 2: As long as you want

Will woke up early in the morning. He had grown to being accustomed to it, so if an emergency came up, he would have the ability to wake up at any time and have the willpower to be alert at anytime of the night or day. He decided to put some wood in the stove so breakfast would be ready by the time Delanie woke up. He picked an apple from a bowl of about a dozen of them. He opened the door and stepped outside into the cool air. In the distance, he could see the sun rising atop the trees and could smell the distinct pine that rose from the surrounding trees. He stood on the porch for a minute taking the whole view in. He walked around to the back of the cottage to where the firewood and the single-horse stables stood.

He walked to the stables and patted the weary Tug on the head. He fed him the apple from his pocket and patted him again. Will then picked up three medium-sized logs and walked back inside. He put the logs under the stove and picked up some flint and tinder from one of two cabinets in the kitchen section on the cottage. Will struck a spark and the wood in the stove caught fire. Will sat in a chair and rubbed his back. Sleeping on the couch was uncomfortable, but he'd be able to get over it in a few days. As he said this, the door to the bedroom opened a crack.

Without looking, Will said, " you're up early. I just started making breakfast, so you can stay in your room or you can sit out here with me."

Delanie poked her head through the door and then retreated back into the room. She opened the door and walked out in Will's clothes. Her pocket bulged with a bag of coins and in her hand which she concealed behind her back held Will's saxe knife. Will noticed the bulge of the bag of coins and for a split-second he saw the refraction of light off the hidden saxe knife. She lunged at him and he parried, using her weight to pull her off her feet. The knife flew from her hand and made a shallow cut in her arm. She held it and cried in pain. Will took off the tunic she was wearing and examined the cut. She was covered in scars and cuts.

She tried to cover her bare chest, but after realizing he only had the good intentions, she covered up her breasts and let him look at the wound. After he saw it wasn't too bad, he took some bandage from the cabinet and bandaged the wound. He gave her back the tunic and looked away as she put it on. She looked down as he looked at her, staring blankly at the floor. She took the bag of coins and laid it on the chair she had sat in for dinner. She stood up and went to the bedroom, and Will watched her leave. She emerged a few more minutes later in her original clothes and walked to the front door without a word.

As she undid the latch for the door and Will grabbed her by the arm. She pulled her arm away and crouched in a defensive gesture on the floor. Will backed away and then moved in closer again. He hugged her and she broke down crying in his arms. They stayed there for half an hour and they had breakfast after.

"I should really go--"she said, standing up, after breakfast.

"Nonsense," said Will. "Stay as long as you want."


	4. Chapter 3: Halt meddles

Over the next few weeks Delanie and Will grew closer. Will could trust her with money and she would be allowed to keep the extras after running errands that Will was usually too busy to run. She would save up and buy clothes for herself and over the time gained a small hoarding of sundresses and sandals. Will didn't mind the way she spent the money or how much of it was spent, because she could use some new clothes as a treat every once and a while. As the dead of winter approached, the snow started falling and the wood was for the fire and stove was moved inside.

Late one day, they thought, because the snow blocked the sun and sky, they were eating an early dinner. Delanie decided she would turn in early, and went through the door into the bedroom, at the same time there was a knock on the door from the outside. Who could be out in the storm at this time, Will thought. He walked to the door and opened in slightly. He then opened it all the way. There was no one standing there. The snow had stopped and there was no wind. He took a step out from the doorway onto the porch and looked into the snow. Nothing. Nothing he could see.

Will took a few more steps, remaining cautious of his surroundings, into the snow. He was looking at the barren trees and snow covered rocks, thinking it was some hooligan making fun with a ranger, when he tripped over a branch. He stood up, brushing the snow off his cloak and turned back to the door when he was tackled face down into the snow.

"What would you say if I told you I was going to kill you?" asked a voice. Will smiled.

"I'd call you a liar," he retorted. The attacker stood up smiling.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from my former apprentice," said Halt. He stood up holding a hand out for Will. Will took it and stood up, brushing the snow off his cloak.

"Should have expected it to be you," said Will. "Welcome to my humble clearing. What's the occasion that you'd grace me with your presence? A new mission? Halt brought forth a scroll from his sleeve and presented it to Will. Will opened it and read the contents. Ranger Will, it started, you have shown your Ranger's abilities to be exceeding in all the necessary regions and have been designated a fief. In the duration of 3 months, you shall be sent to Seacliff to become the Ranger there. Will looked at his master.

"Congratulations, Will," said Halt. "How about we go into your cottage and celebrate over some hot coffee." Halt led the way into the cottage and put some beans in the steampot and put it over the fire. Will sat down at the table and stared at the surface. Halt watched him brood. "You know Will, you'll never get Alyss if you act like that whenever you get big news." Halt smiled and Will looked up.

"It's just so unexpected, I mean I didn't know when this would come, I just thought it would be later." Will had a million questions going through his head. What would it be like? Will it be a lot different? What do I bring? Can I say goodbye to my friends? Would Delanie end up on the street again?

Halt could see his perplexity. He just couldn't fathom the reasons that he could be going through so many questions. He had taken it calmly and had marked the day he had been to leave to his memory. "Will, what's wrong?" Halt asked. Will looked up at him and decided that Halt was his greatest ally and was like a father, and that he could tell him anything and everything.

"There is someone, Halt." Will stood straight, staring at the floor.

Halt waved it. "So you finally figured it out. Did you go for Alyss? Or Evanlyn?

Now Will looked up bewildered. "What are you talking about, Halt?"

Halt raised his eyebrows in surprise, then lowered them. "Nevermind, so who is this person you were talking about?"

Will turned away. "Nobody, nothing." He turned back to Halt. I'll go to this new fief. How long did you say I had again?"

"Seacliff." Halt said.


End file.
